DAPHNE, Ala.— The City Council adopted its 2009 fiscal year operating budget in a 5-1 vote Monday, with Councilman Ron Scott casting the lone dissenting vote. Councilman Greg Burnam was absent from the meeting.

The overall 2009 budget—including the $21 million general fund—totals $26 million, according to Finance Director Kim Briley. Some items include:

<$14 million for Personnel.

<$2 million for debt service.

<$577,000 for recreation and Daphne Public Library (operating).

<$531,000 for garbage and recycling (operating).

<$433,000 for Daphne Civic Center (operating; city will transfer $360,000).

<$56,000 for Bay Front Park (operating; city will transfer $112,000 to cover additional costs).

The council had debated passing the budget (seen at right breakout-box) for more than a month.

“We’ll end up the fiscal year with $9.8 million (in reserve),” Scott said.

In other business:

“The recreation needs are there,” Barnette said. “It’s just a matter of how it impacts the budget.

“I had proposed to hold off on that because of the overall (financial) picture.”

Councilman August Palumbo reminded the council of the necessity of building these fields to support the growing number of young Daphne athletes.

“We simply don’t have places for all the kids to play,” Palumbo said. “We have over 500 soccer players.”

Phase I construction does not include installing lights at the new fields. A plan to include light fixtures will be implemented in the near future.

“In two, three months, we’re going to need the lights,” Barnette said.

“Although it’s a lot of money, it’s a scaled-back version of the original plan,” Palumbo said. “This is a minimum cost.”

Councilman Bailey Yelding voiced his opinion on the importance of recreational activies for Daphne’s youth.

“We keep putting recreation on the backburner,” Yelding said. “We need to get recreation where it needs to be. Let’s step forward and do something.”

Palumbo suggested that the project’s financial burden is justified in creating a safe place for young soccer and football players to learn the merits of competition and teamwork.

“We spent $800,000-plus tonight,” Palumbo said. “It’s a project that’s been in the works for years. I think the minimum we can do is to get these (fields) up and running.

“Daphne has fallen behind in its recreational activies,” he said. “This will help us keep moving forward.”

The new computers will serve the Daphne Police Department and will be installed in its police cruisers.

The Daphne Police Department has requested that hotels keep guest records so they can be analyzed during investigations.